Recently I have been doing research for a book I am writing about my family’s long journey with depression. Of the materials I have read and studied so far, the most interesting and insightful is a book called Unstuck by Dr. James Gordon. Dr. Gordon founded The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM) back in 1991, and he has worked there ever since training patients and healers alike.
Dr. Gordon’s view is that we should not treat depression and anxiety so much as diseases at which to throw pharmaceuticals, but rather as naturally occurring stumbling blocks to happiness and self-awareness all human can experience in their lifetimes.
Dr. Gordon recommends several techniques to enable patients to take care of themselves as they are coming unstuck, coming out of a deep depression. As the title of the book indicates, depression and anxiety can have a paralyzing effect. The person becomes stuck in habitual behaviors with unhealthy attitudes toward themselves and toward life. I still remember the TV ad for a popular anti-depressant drug in which a female cartoon-like character is being followed by a dark cloud raining on her head. She walks along carrying an umbrella so as not to get pelted by the big drops of depression.
One of the first activities Dr. Gordon prescribes for his new patients is dancing. Clinicians already know the healing power of music therapy. Dr. Gordon adds dance to the mix to get the patient up and moving. This activity improves mood enormously.
There is no particular kind of dance a patient must perform. The prescription from Dr. Gordon is simply to find some music you like, turn it on, and start dancing. No one has to see your moves. In fact, Dr. Gordon suggests dancing in a room by yourself in front of a mirror, just to see your body up and doing something besides lying in bed or sitting in your recliner feeling sad and worthless.
This is powerful. I tried it myself this morning. I had been working on a piece of writing and felt stuck, unable to go on. Besides, I was developing a headache and my back felt stiff. As I thought of possible choices of music, the tune to an old song by a group called Sly and the Family Stone began playing in my head.
“That’s it!” I thought.
I checked my phone and found it available on YouTube. When the song started, I was transported back to my college days. My husband and I saw Sly and the other six members of his group live in concert at my husband’s small college in Western Pennsylvania. Listening to that song again brought back some great memories! Now I will have to revisit some of the other hit songs the group had back in the day. What fun! After dancing to just that one song, I was in a much better mood and could get back to work.
Dr. Gordon is correct about the mood-elevating power of dancing. And it’s nothing new. Ancient humans have always had some component of movement and dance in their cultures. Hunter-gatherers, for example, were constantly on the move. Farmers and their families did tough physical work daily, and I am sure they had no problems going to sleep at night. Warring tribes on every continent had war dances before going into battle. Only modern man seems to be stuck in a desk chair in an office or planted in front of a television for hours on end without moving. That is not the natural way for us.
Thousands of us join Jazzercize classes, Zumba classes, yoga classes to get moving. That is a good plan, and the social interaction of being part of a class is a valuable bonus. But attending classes is not necessary as long as you have a way to play music and a few square feet of space in which to move around.
And if you are interested in hearing “Dance to the Music,” here’s the link.
I like this song.